Krasić finds winning formula

Success has come quickly for Serbia and Montenegro midfielder Miloš Krasić. At 21 he is already a UEFA Cup winner with PFC CSKA Moskva, and has also claimed the league title with the Russian side. Now he has his sights set on a winner's medal at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Krasić was a non-playing member of the Serbia and Montenegro squad that finished runners-up against Italy two years ago, but is proving a crucial component of coach Dragomir Okuka's team this time round.

'Really pleased'
Twice during Thursday's 2-0 victory against Portugal, Krasić cut through the host nation with surging runs down the middle before breaking into the area. His first shot was saved but the second intervention was decisive. "Both runs were from similar situations," he told uefa.com. "I saw the space open up towards goal. The first time the goalkeeper saved my shot but the second time I was lucky to win the penalty. It was a shame [Nenad] Milijaš missed but we scored immediately afterwards. I was really pleased that move led to the goal."

'Perfect goal'
Krasić's direct approach drew comparison with France dynamo Rio Antonio Mavuba, whose spectacular goal in France's 3-0 success against Germany came from a similar run. With a place in the semi-finals at stake, much could depend on which midfielder gains the upper hand when the two countries meet in Braga this evening. "It was a perfect goal - he went past three players from halfway and scored," Krasić said. "But I don't like to pick out any one of their midfielders, they're all very good. Their strength is in the group."

'Highest level'
Krasić is looking forward to the challenge. "I'm ready for the match, definitely," he said. "It's a better situation for us now, after the match against Portugal, mentally of course, but physically too because we've had an extra day's rest. I feel very good, as do the other players, but it's a very, very hard tempo here and the matches are at the highest level."

Team meeting
France could face their sternest test yet against a physical Serbia and Montenegro team who showed both sides of their game in the space of two days last week. Criticised for their lacklustre display against Germany, the players held a meeting among themselves to iron out any problems within the squad. It lifted tension and the result was a commanding performance against the hosts.

'Different approach'
"The most important change was our attitude on the pitch," Krasić said. "We had a totally different approach to the match against Portugal than we did against Germany. Against Portugal we knew we'd be finished if we didn't win so we gave everything - our will, desire and strength. The victory came from playing as a team, nothing else. After the match against Germany we discussed what we had to do, what we had to change, and we accepted our responsibility. We made a deal: to concentrate and play as one. That's what's most important to us."

Robust challenge
Krasić's own robustness was evidenced by a fair challenge on Bruno Vale that left the Portugal goalkeeper with a broken bone in his right foot. He phoned the injured player later to wish him a speedy recovery. The latter's tournament may be over, but Krasić believes Serbia and Montenegro are just hitting their stride. "We've had a lot of calls from home and the people believe in us. They think we can reach the semi-finals and maybe even the final. We're enjoying ourselves and visited Porto yesterday. We haven't tried the local [Port] wine yet. We'll do that after the final."